Image monitoring system and image monitoring program

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is an image monitoring system including: a camera connected to a network; display means for displaying an image captured by the camera; and display control means for controlling display such that, in displaying images by the display means, an image is displayed in a window having a predetermined layout; wherein the display control means presets an allocation database containing a correlation between the window having a predetermined layout and a camera identification code and, when the camera is connected to the network, automatically sets a correlation between the camera identification code in the allocation database and the camera, thereby controlling image display into the window on the basis of the allocation database.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese PatentApplication JP 2006-059026 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Mar.6, 2006, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an image monitoring system and an imagemonitoring program that can display, in a predetermined layout, imagetaken by a camera connected to a network and record and reproduce theimage captured from that camera.

2. Description of the Related Art

Image monitoring systems are used to monitor images captured from aplurality of cameras simultaneously displayed on one monitor display ina partitioned manner and record captured images to reproduce later asnecessary, for example. Recently, for the purpose of enhanced security,image-based monitoring activities are practiced in various places, suchas company parking lots, streets, schools, and homes, in addition tobanks, convenience stores, and other monitored facilities in relatedart, for example (refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-309368 andJapanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 10-336631).

At the same time, network-based image monitoring systems in which aplurality of cameras are connected to a network and images taken bythese cameras and transmitted through the network for display, storage,and reproduction have been quickly spreading due to the enhancedperformance and reduced cost of cameras, the increased storage size anddecreased cost of recording media, and the development of networks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the above-mentioned image mentoring systems, displaying imagescaptured by a camera connected to a network into a window of a displaymonitor requires the user to execute operations of selecting apredetermined layout and then allocate an image captured by a camera toa particular window of the selected layout. Namely, capturing an imageof a networked camera by the monitoring apparatus and allocating thisimage to a predetermined window require the user to manually allocate animage to a window of layout. These operations are very time and laborconsuming. Especially, if there are many prepared layouts, many layoutsmust be allocated to one camera, thereby presenting problems ofcomplicated operations in realizing a significantly simple and easyimage monitoring setup.

Therefore, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it isdesirable to provide an image monitoring system and an image monitoringprogram free from above mentioned problems. According to one embodimentof the present invention, there is provided an image monitoring system.This image monitoring system has a camera connected to a network; adisplay section configured to display an image captured by the camera;and a display control section configured to control such that, indisplaying images by the display section, an image is displayed in awindow having a predetermined layout; wherein the display controlsection presets an allocation database containing a correlation betweenthe window having a predetermined layout and a camera identificationcode and, when the camera is connected to the network, automaticallysets a correlation between the camera identification code in theallocation database and the camera, thereby controlling image displayinto the window on the basis of the allocation database.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided an image monitoring program to be executed on an imagemonitoring system. In this image monitoring program, program control bythe display control section presets an allocation database containing acorrelation between the window having a predetermined layout and acamera identification code and, when the camera is connected to thenetwork, automatically sets a correlation between the cameraidentification code in the allocation database and the camera, therebycontrolling image display into the window on the basis of the allocationdatabase.

Because an allocation database containing the correlation between thewindow in a predetermined layout and a camera identification code ispreset, connecting a camera to a network allows the automatic setting ofthe correlation between the camera identification code in the allocationdatabase and the networked camera.

Consequently, when a camera is connected to a network, the cameraidentification code related with the networked camera can be displayedin the window of a selected layout without executing any specialallocating operation.

As described above and according to the embodiments of the presentinvention, by only connecting a camera to a network instantly allows thedisplaying of camera images into a window of a predetermined layout,thereby eliminating the necessity of the manual allocation of cameras bythe user. Hence, by only connecting a camera to a network, the user candisplay images captured by a camera onto a display monitor withoutexecuting time and labor consuming operations, thereby realizing asignificantly easy and simple image monitoring setup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become apparent from the followingdescription of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration ofan image monitoring system practiced as one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration ofan image monitoring program practiced as another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary display of images capturedfrom a plurality of cameras onto a monitor;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a concept of an allocationdatabase;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart indicative of processing to be executed in theabove-mentioned image monitoring program;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart indicative of processing to be executed whendeleting a camera;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary allocationdatabase indicative of correlation between layout and camera ID;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary default layout settingscreen;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary customized layout settingscreen;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific example of addingcameras; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a specific camera layoutselecting operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

This invention will be described in further detail by way of embodimentsthereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. Now, referring toFIG. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplaryconfiguration of an image monitoring system according to an embodimentof the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown aschematic diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an imagemonitoring program according to another embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 1, an image monitoring system according to the presentembodiment includes a camera 10 (or cameras 10) connected to a networkN, a monitoring apparatus 20 connected to the same network N, and amonitor (or a display section) 30 connected to the monitoring apparatus20. In this image monitoring system, an image captured by the camera 10is transmitted to the monitoring apparatus 20 via the network N in apredetermined data format (for example, JPEG (Joint Photographic ExpertsGroup) or MPEG-4 (Moving Picture Experts Group phase 4)). The imagereceived by the monitoring apparatus 20 is displayed on the monitor 30connected to the monitoring apparatus 20 or stored in a HDD (Hard DiskDrive) 23, a storage section arranged on the monitoring apparatus 20. Itis also practicable to search the HDD 23 for desired images andreproduce searched images.

In order to manage the image supplied from the camera 10 via the networkN, the monitoring apparatus 20 includes: a CPU 21, a control section,for executing an image monitoring program; a memory 22, such as a RAM(Random Access Memory) used as a work area for image processing or thelike; and the HDD 23 as a storage section for sequentially storingimages supplied from the camera 10. The monitoring apparatus 20 furtherincludes: a monitor interface 24 for connecting the monitor 30; anexternal device interface 25 for connecting external devices, such as ajoystick and an extended HDD for example; and a network interface 26 forconnecting the present system to the network N.

The image monitoring program to be executed by the CPU 21 includes: of arecording server section 101 to be executed in an operating system 100;and a GUI (Graphical User Interface) control section 102 as shown inFIG. 2. The recording server section 101 records each image suppliedfrom the camera 10 along with a camera identification number, recordingdate, and data compression algorithm, for example, thereby executing theprocessing of building an image database. The recording server section101 also searches the HDD 23 for specified images already recorded inHDD 23 and reproduces the searched images.

The GUI control section 102 is a display controller which executeswindow control processing for displaying image on the monitor 30 (referto FIG. 1); display control processing for allocating image to windowsand displaying various control buttons (or icons) to windows; andcontrol processing for accepting commands from a user through an inputsection, such as mouse, keyboard, functional buttons, and joystick, forexample.

The above-mentioned system configuration and program configurationsupply the image captured by the camera 10 to the monitoring apparatus20 via the network N to be displayed on the monitor 30. If a pluralityof cameras 10 are connected to the network N, then each of imagescaptured by these cameras may be displayed in each of windows, which aredisplayed on the monitor 30 as arranged in a predetermined manner.Alternatively, a window for one particular camera 10 may be displayed onthe entire monitor 30. If the camera 10 has pan, tilt and zoomcapabilities, the user may use these capabilities of the camera 10 todisplay a resultant image on the monitor 30.

Images captured by the camera 10 are sequentially recorded to the HDD 23to build an image database. When an image database is built in the HDD23, the user can access the image database from the monitoring apparatus20 to search desired images and, because the monitoring apparatus 20 isalso connected to the network N, access the image database from anexternal personal computer, for example, connected to the network N toreference desired images.

In displaying images captured by the camera 10 connected to network Nonto the monitor 30, the image monitoring system according to theembodiment of the present invention can instantly display an imagecaptured by the camera 10 into a window having a preset layout withoutexecuting any special operations.

The above-mentioned controlling of display layouts is realized by theprogram control by the GUI control section 102, which becomes effectiveespecially when displaying images captured by a plurality of camerasinto a plurality of windows on a one in one basis.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown an example in which images capturedfrom a plurality of cameras are displayed onto the monitor. To be morespecific, the images supplied from two or more cameras are displayed intwo or more windows, which are arranged in a matrix manner. In theexample shown in FIG. 3, a total of nine windows (3×3) are displayed, ineach of which an image captured by a different camera is displayed.Namely, the images supplied from a total of nine cameras can bereferenced at the same time. It should be noted that the number ofwindows that can be displayed and the display layout can be selected bythe user as desired.

Arranged upper side of the whole window displaying images, screenswitching buttons and function selecting buttons are arranged. Thescreen switching buttons selects contents to be displayed on the entirewindow and include a “monitoring” button for displaying an imagecaptured by a camera, a “configuration” button for setting basicsettings, and a “system” button for setting system settings.

The function selecting buttons include an “export” button for outputtingimages captured by a camera to an external recording media, a “fullscreen” button for displaying a selected window on the full screen, a“monitor window” button for selecting a layout (3×3, 2×2, or the like)of two or more windows, and a “sequence” button for starting or stoppinga monitor sequence for automatically switching between screens.

Arranged lower side of the whole window are an image display windowstatus (displaying of current image or reproducing of past image)switching button, a reproduction/recording operation button, a cameraselecting button, a volume setting slide bar, and a box for specifyingthe date and time for search for past image.

In addition, to the right side of the whole window, an option window isarranged. For the option window, “camera control”, “list of recordingcameras”, “list of recorded images”, “alarm log”, “system log”, “list ofalarm output situations”, “list of sensor input situations”, “list ofmoving body detection situations”, and “manual trigger” can be selectedby the window switching button.

Selecting “camera control” switches to a window display for controllingthe panning, tilt, and zoom of a specified window, and the camerafunctions, such as focus and brightness. Selecting “list of recordingcameras” displays a list of cameras that are taking image onto theoption window. Selecting “list of recorded images” displays a list ofrecently recorded images onto the option window.

Selecting “alarm log” displays an alarm-associated log onto the optionwindow. Selecting “system log” displays a log associated with systeminformation and system error onto the option window. Selecting “list ofalarm output situations” displays a list of current alarm outputsituations onto the option window. Selecting “list of sensor inputsituations” displays a list of current sensor input situations onto theoption window.

Selecting “moving body detection situations” displays current movingbody detection information onto the option windows. Selecting “manualtrigger” displays a list of manually triggered actions onto the optionwindow.

If “camera control” is displayed on the option window with the windowdisplayed with image specified and an arrow button, for example, isselected, the user can perform panning or tilting of the cameratransmitting image to that window or specify zoom-in or zoom-out of theimage by selecting the zoom button.

In order to reference image captured in the past, the user selects thewindow in which the current image transmitted from the camera by whichthe desired past image was captured is displayed and inputs thereferenced past date on which into the date specification box. In thepresent embodiment, the date specification box is arranged in the lowerright corner of the whole window, by which the user can specify one dateand time common to a plurality of windows.

It is also practicable to simultaneously specify two or more windowsthat correspond to the camera by which the past image to be referencedwas captured. If two or more windows are specified, there is one box inwhich the date is specified, so that one date and time common to two ormore windows can be specified in this box.

In displaying camera images onto the above-mentioned windows, thepresent embodiment provides a plurality of window layouts beforehand andan allocation database for indicative of a correlation between windowand camera ID (identification code) for the plurality of layouts.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a schematic diagram illustrating aconcept of the above-mentioned allocation database. Various types ofwindow layouts to be displayed on the monitor are prepared. Generally,matrix layouts, such as 1×1, 2×2, 3×3, and so on, are used, for example.Also, the user can set desired layouts other than these types.

In the layouts as mentioned above, the correlation between windows andcamera IDs to be arranged in each layout is an allocation database. Inthe example shown in FIG. 4, camera ID “3” is allocated to one windowhaving 1×1 layout, camera IDs “1” through “4” are allocated to fourwindows having 2×2 layout, and camera IDs “1” through “9” to ninewindows having 3×3 layout.

In addition, camera IDs are tied to camera IP addresses on a one to onebasis. This correlation between camera ID and camera IP address isexecuted when the user specifies the searching for a camera connected tothe network or an automatic search operation is executed in apredetermined timed relation, for example.

For example, if camera C is connected to the network and the IP addressof camera C is registered at camera ID “3”, the image captured by cameraC is displayed in a window having the camera ID of the layout to whichcamera ID “3” is allocated. To be more specific, when the user selectsthe 1×1 layout allocated with camera ID “3”, the image of camera C isdisplayed in one window; when the user selects the 2×2 layout, the imageof camera C is displayed in the lower left window of the 2×2 windowsallocated with camera ID “3”; and when the user selects the 3×3 layout,the image of camera C is displayed in the upper right window of the 3×3windows allocated with camera ID “3”.

With related-art systems, no allocation is made to windows of particularlayouts, so that it is necessary for the user to execute, afterconnecting a camera to the network, an operation of allocating the IPaddress of the camera to the window of a desired layout. If many layoutsare prepared, the user should allocate the IP address of the connectedcamera to the window of each of these layouts.

In the present embodiment, a camera ID is allocated to the window ofeach layout in advance and this camera ID is automatically related withthe camera IP address at the time of network connection, so that onlyconnecting the camera to the network allows the displaying of imagecaptured by the camera into a predetermined layout.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a flowchart indicative of theprocessing to be executed in an image monitoring program practiced asone embodiment of the present invention. The layouts of windows to beused are registered in advance and camera IDs are assigned, to thewindows of the layouts, in correspondence with the number of camerasthat can be registered. Any layout to which no camera ID is assigned hasno use value, so that the display flag of that layout is turned off,thereby setting that layout to non-display status in each application.

First, all cameras existing in a same segment on the network areautomatically searched for in a broadcast manner (step S1). Next, theuser selects a camera to be registered from among the searched cameras(step S2) and then extracts the lowest layout camera ID that is notcurrently used (step S3). Extracting the lowest camera ID allows theassignment of a camera to each dropped window that is not used inlayout.

Next, the camera ID for uniquely identifying each camera to be used inapplications and the camera ID for layout are stored together in thedatabase (step S4). This processing can holds the information about therelating of the camera ID necessary for acquiring camera images and thelayout camera ID for determining a display position in each layout.

Next, from the layouts created in advance, a layout is extracted forholding a newly allocated layout camera ID (step S5). Then, the displayflag of the extracted layout is checked (step S6). If the display flagis found to be off, then it is determined that a camera has beenallocated for the first time to provide a usage value, upon which thedisplay flag is turned on (step S7). Consequently, that layout becomesusable (or displayed) for the first time.

The above-mentioned processing flow allows the automatic creation oflayouts and the automatic allocation of a camera to each layout whichwas executed manually by the user in related art. The above-mentionedprocessing flow further allows various operations such as imagemonitoring and recording immediately after camera registration.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a flowchart indicative of theprocessing of camera deletion. In order to uninstall a camera from thenetwork or deallocate a camera, the processing of deleting cameraregistration is executed. In this processing, first, the database issearched for the camera ID of a camera to be deleted (step S11) and thenthe camera related with that camera ID (for example, the IP address ofthe camera) is deleted from the database (step S12). Thus, in deletingthe registration of a camera, only the deletion from the database isexecuted, and the assigned IDs are not reallocated. Consequently, in thereplacement of cameras due to camera troubles, a new camera can beassigned to the same position, holding the arrangement of layout as itwas before the deletion.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is shown a schematic diagram illustrating anexemplary allocation database indicative of the correlation betweenlayout and camera ID. With the image monitoring system according to thepresent embodiment, default layouts 1×1 through 8×8 are prepared. Inorder to allow the connection of a maximum of 64 cameras, “1” through“64” camera IDs are allocated to windows of each layout. The user cannotchange the camera IDs allocated to default layouts.

In addition to default layouts, customized layouts which the user canchange allocation of layouts as desired is provided. Customized layoutsallow the user to set, as desired, window sizes and the number ofwindows to be arranged and make registration of which camera ID to whichwindow, for example.

Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown an exemplary a default-layoutsetting screen. This example shows a setting screen for a 2×2 layout, inwhich a layout tree structure is shown to the left side of the settingscreen while detail settings of the 2×2 layout are shown to the rightside. With default layouts, the contents of setting are only displayedand therefore not to subject to change by the user.

Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown an exemplary setting screen of acustomized layout. Customized layouts allow the user to select displayand non-display modes, specify layout name, window arrangement, windowsize, and camera ID for each window, specify hot spot, displayinformation, and specify comment. This setting screen allows the user tomanually allocate desired layouts and camera IDs.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a schematic diagram illustratingthe addition of cameras. If a new camera is connected to the networkwith a layout as described above prepared, the database containing thecorrelation between camera ID and camera is first searched for a free,lowest-numbered camera ID. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the databasehas camera IDs “1” through “14”, so that the free, lowered-numberedcamera ID is “15”. Therefore, the IP address of the added camera isregistered at this camera ID “15”. Consequently, the camera havingcamera ID “15” is identified and an image captured by the camera ofcamera ID “15” is displayed in a window allocated with camera ID “15” ina layout prepared in advance. This setup allows the user to displayimages captured by the newly added camera in the window automaticallyallocated upon connection of that camera to the network, withoutexecuting a special window allocating operation.

Now, a flow of selecting a layout from many layouts in which imagescaptured by a particular camera can be displayed will be describedbelow. Referring to FIG. 11, there is shown a schematic diagramillustrating the selection of a layout for a particular camera. First,the user specifies a particular camera that captures images to bereferenced. In the example shown in FIG. 11, camera A is specified. Whenparticular camera A is specified, the image monitoring system accordingto the present embodiment searches for the camera ID corresponding tocamera A and displays all layouts in a list form that contain a windowto which that camera ID is allocated. This list is displayed in theoption window shown in FIG. 3 for example. The user selects a desiredlayout from this list. Consequently, the user can easily and quicklyselect desired layout from many layouts in which images of a particularcamera can be displayed.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been describedusing specific terms, such description is for illustrative purpose only,and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A display control apparatus for controlling outputs of a plurality of cameras comprising: a display control section configured to: control a display device to display images captured by respective ones of the plural cameras based on a first layout selected among a plurality of layouts, each layout having one or more image positions, and correlation information between an image position in each layout among the plurality of layouts and a number related to a respective one of the plural cameras; and control the display device to display the images based on a second layout selected among the plurality of the layouts and the correlation information when the selected layout is changed from the first layout to the second layout.
 8. A display control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one of the first or second layouts comprises a plurality of equal sized windows corresponding to the image positions.
 9. A display control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one of the first or second layouts comprises a plurality of windows corresponding to the image positions, and at least one of the windows is of size that differs from the size of another window.
 10. A display control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display control section is configured to control the display device to display in an image position information related to the respective camera whose image is captured by that respective camera and displayed in that image position.
 11. A display control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the display control section is configured to control the display device to display a volume control.
 12. A display control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the number related to a respective one of the plural cameras is the camera identification.
 13. A method of displaying images from plural cameras, comprising: displaying images captured by respective ones of the plural cameras based on a first layout selected among a plurality of layouts, each layout having one or more image positions, and correlation information between an image position in each layout among the plurality of layouts and a number related to a respective one of the plural cameras; and displaying the images based on a second layout selected among the plurality of the layouts and the correlation information when the selected layout is changed from the first layout to the second layout.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the first or second layouts comprises a plurality of equal sized windows corresponding to the image positions.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein one of the first or second layouts comprises a plurality of windows corresponding to the image positions, and at least one of the windows is of size that differs from the size of another window.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying in an image position information related to the respective camera whose image is captured by that respective camera and displayed in that image position.
 17. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying a volume control.
 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the number related to a respective one of the plural cameras is the camera identification.
 19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having recorded thereon a program for controlling a controller to: control a display device to display images captured by respective ones of the plural cameras based on a first layout selected among a plurality of layouts, each layout having one or more image positions, and correlation information between an image position in each layout among the plurality of layouts and a number related to a respective one of the plural cameras; and control the display device to display the images based on a second layout selected among the plurality of the layouts and the correlation information when the selected layout is changed from the first layout to the second layout.
 20. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein one of the first or second layouts comprises a plurality of equal sized windows corresponding to the image positions.
 21. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein one of the first or second layouts comprises a plurality of windows corresponding to the image positions, and at least one of the windows is of size that differs from the size of another window.
 22. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the display device is controlled to display in an image position information related to the respective camera whose image is captured by that respective camera and displayed in that image position.
 23. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the display device is controlled to display a volume control.
 24. A non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 19, wherein the number related to a respective one of the plural cameras is the camera identification. 